Samsung's latest smartphone/tablet hybrid Galaxy Note is all set to hit the shelves of U.S. wireless carrier AT&T on Feb. 19. Online orders kick off on Feb. 5.

Galaxy Note, which made a splash at CES 2012 in Las Vegas will hit the U.S. market on Feb. 19. The device, which Samsung has categorized as a smartphone, has become very popular in Korea, Hong Kong, France and other countries where it has already been launched and an estimated 1 million units have been sold so far.

The device has the specs of a high-end smartphone and more but is priced at only $299 (with a 2-year AT&T contract), perhaps to enable it to compete with iPhone 4S, whose 32GB model is similarly priced.

According to AT&T SVP (devices) Jeff Bradley, Galaxy Note offers "a unique all-in-one experience" that "can simplify daily life."

Galaxy Note has become a rage in Europe and Asia because it combines the best features of a smartphone as well as a tablet.

Among other features, the device boasts of 5.3-inch Super AMOLED HD display (making it the smartphone with the largest display), 4G LTE, dual-core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage (expandable to 32GB via microSD card slot), NFC technology, Adobe Flash support, powerful battery (standby as well as talk time are far better than what iphone 4S' battery promises), WiFi and Bluetooth.

However, the icing on the cake is the S pen stylus that accompanies it. The stylus has been engineered in such a way so that it is not only fast and responsive but also it gives the user precise control over what is written or drawn on the device display. And, thanks to handwritten-recognition technology, you can easily sketch drawings, jot down notes, or even write emails and texts quickly and easily.

Nonetheless, Galaxy Note has its fair share of drawbacks. For instance, it doesn't run on the latest Ice Cream Sandwich OS. It comes pre-installed with Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. Moreover, it's internal storage can be expanded to max. 32GB, whereas iPhone 4S comes with 64GB option. And, yes, it doesn't have Siri or anything close to it.

But it shouldn't stop Android fans from taking a look at this latest Android hybrid. After all, how many devices are there in the market that functions as a tablet as well as a smartphone?